To the last
by Yusagi
Summary: Ch5:RemusPeter Ch6:Remus A weird multichapter oneshot..explanation in ANs..snapshots of the mauraders from their POVs as one by one they die, until Remus is alone...Slight HBP spoilers in later chapters
1. Five

Disclaimer: No own HP

AN: I had the sudden urge to write HP. So...this is a one shot I've been thinking on, only I cut it up into...like...five short chapters...so I don't have to write it all at once. I'm brilliant.

* * *

_To the last_

**Five**

James laughed as he looked over at the light-brown haired man, "With _your_ skill! You're worried about getting a job as an Auror with your skill?"

Remus frowned, "You know that's not the problem, Prongs."

James made an exagerrated roll of his eyes, "Moony, you spent seven years in Hogwarts and no one found out about your furry little problem!"

"Well, _some_ did..." Sirius interjected, peeking around the corner into the living room of James' home, "Firewhiskey anyone?"

"Still, it's not like you'll run into someone as smart as _us_ just anywhere!" James insisted, "Too early for me, Padfoot...I'll just have some butterbeer."

"I think the Ministry of Magic should have observant enough of people to notice when four of their aurors go missing every month." Remus sighed, waving away Sirius' offered firewhiskey.

"I don't think I'll make an Auror..." Peter squeaked, looking frightened at the prospect of going up against dark wizards and creatures on a daily basis.

"Three, then." Remus corrected, nodding toward the round man.

"Come on! What with Voldemort--" James was cut off by a terrified yelp from Peter.

"Come off it, Wormtail! His name's not the thing hurting anyone!" Sirius barked from the kitchen.

"Well his wand _is_, and that's exactly what you're going to go up against if you three keep going on about this foolish Auror business." Lily snapped, sitting with an irritated frown next to James on the couch.

"But Lily...you promised you'd sign up, too..."

"Only because I know the three of you won't survive the first day without me." Lily sniffed.

"Ah, I never knew you cared about us, Lily!" Sirius laughed, walking into the room with two butterbeers, "Aside from Prongs, I mean."

"I don't have a problem with James, Remus, or Peter." Lily replied flatly, "And since I know you're going to drag poor Peter into this, I say 'three' instead of 'two'."

Sirius smirked, "So you admit I'm the brightest of the bunch?"

"No, you'll not make it the first hour." Lily snorted, "You'll fall and break your next as you waltz out of the office."

Remus tried to stifle a laugh, and James roared with laughter and Peter gave an experimental chuckled. A sour glare from Sirius instantly silenced him.

"So!" Remus said, swiftly changing the subject, "Who's up for a game of exploding snap?"

Sirius just looked at him as if he were insane.

**Ch end.**

* * *

AN: So. Each chapter will be kinda like this, a snap shot of them together...and disappearing...one by one...>.>

-Yusagi


	2. Four

Disclaimer: Still no own HP

AN: Ah, on with the dark stuff, this is James' POV, some stuff might differ from Harry's memories, but...I don't remember those exactly anway... .

* * *

_To the Last_

**Four**

Lily's eyes were wide with horror. "James, no! There has to be another way!"

He gave her a soft smile, "You already know there isn't, I'll fight him...you try...try and get Harry and yourself to safety at least..."

With that, he slipped out of the bedroom door, and cast a locking charm on it, before walking toward the living room, where there uninvited guest was just now entering.

He smiled to himself, _Well, I always did want to go out in a blaze of glory...and if Lily and Harry get away..._

He frowned. _Harry _has_ to get away. I won't let Voldemort stop that prophecy!...Although...I wonder how you're even supposed to stop it...then again...Harry might not be the one, and then he'd die for no reason..._

James' grip tightened on his wand, _I won't let him hurt my family...not while I still draw breath..._

It didn't occur to him, as he turned the corner to enter his living room and face off against what was likely not even human anymore, that the only way _it_ could have gotten in was that someone--Peter--had betrayed him. It simply wasn't possible.

The 'man' was standing calmly in the middle of the room, wand drawn, and arms crossed. A sadistic smirk played on his lips as we watched James' approach.

"I thought I'd drop by to say hello, since I was in the neighborhood...I hope I didn't _wale_ you." he said, high voice thick with mockery.

"I won't let you get to him."

"_You_?" The man gave a shrill laugh, "_You_, prevent the greatest wizard of all time from getting what he wants!"

"I do believe we both know you are far from the greatest wizard that ever lived."

The man's blood-shot eyes narrowed, "At every turn you demonstrate the need for your extermination."

"Extermination, is it? Just cleaning up the filth and grime that refuse to follow you in your insane quest to murder all muggles and anyone not pure-blooded?" James growled, advancing on the creature.

He had to buy time. He had to give Lily the chance to escape...

"Oh, I wouldn't wish to wipe out all non-purebloods!" Voldemort looked almost sincerely shocked at the notion, "Merely put them in their place beneath us."

"Us?" James replied, smirking, "You are not a part of me in any way...you see, unlike you, I actually _am_ a pureblood! So start bowing!"

Voldemort's face contorted in rage a moment, and then his features smoothed to a mere annoyed look, "I am in far too good a mood tonight to let you goad me, I am about to eradicate the one thing that could possibly threaten me."

"Not if I kill you first!" James yelled, firing off the most powerful curse he knew--aside from an Unforgivable, of course.

The creature only laughed, and deflected it with the barest twitch of his wand, "In what universe could you hope to defeat me?"

"_This!_" James snarled, lunging at him.

_Okay. So muggle dueling isn't my strong point, I only learned it from dealing with Lily, but even when I was younger and more arrogant, I would have known that wand dueling was out of the question here._

Voldemort's eyes widened in shock a moment as he was knocked off his feet, but his surprise soon melted into a sinister smirk. James saw the blur of a pale hand, and then a painful collision on the side of his head with a strange object cause James to see stars.

_Great. He has to know how to Muggle Duel, too! The fates hate me!_

Blinking back the stars dancing in his vision, he made a return strike, hoping to break the man's nose. Voldemort seemed unaffected by the punch, only smirking wider, and flinging James off of him into a wall.

"As I said, James Potter, in what universe could you have hope of defeating _me_?"

James could taste his coppery blood on his tongue as he stumbled up. The pale man smirked and levelled his wand at James.

_This is it..._ James glared defiantly at the creature that had once been a man, and stood up straight, _Lily...please...get to safety._

"You want to know what universe I can beat you in, Snake-breath? _This one!_" James laughed, "I could beat you with one hand tied behind my back, and a half-gallon of firewhiskey in my belly!

"I think I threw you too hard..." the man said, without a hint of remose.

James only laughed harder, "You're pathetic! Without your minions, you are helpless!"

His red eyes narrowed, "I don't see any Death Eaters in _here_."

James smirked, "And that's why my _infant son_ will beat you in his _sleep_!"

Voldemort gave a furious hiss, and all James saw was a blinding green light.

_Save him..._

**ch end.**

* * *

AN: . Well, I don't know how it ended up like that. I'm just writing it as I go here...you CAN'T tell me James would pass up a chance to annoy Voldy, that's his thing--irritating dark wizards, I mean.

-Yusagi


	3. Three

Disclaimer: checks Nope. Still don't own HP.

AN: Alright, the other chapters were written after I was up for, like, 18 hours. I'm fine with the writing of them, but the catagorization and such were way off. Had to fix that.

Alright, on to...you guessed it, Lily.

-----

_To the last_

**Three**

There was no escape. James had to know that, but still he threw himself into the path of the maniac to buy her time.

_Buy me time for what!_ Lily thought frantically, _How can I protect Harry when there's no where to go? What if Dumbledore's plan doesn't work, and my death proves meaningless?_

The red haired woman gave a dry sob, _He can't die! Please..._

There was a crash behind her, and Lily turned to see the creature that had become Voldemort. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the smeared blood on his left hand. _Did he find some horrible way to kill James? Why couldn't he at least have done it painlessly!_

"Move, I did not come here for you." the man's high voice was without emotion.

"I won't let you hurt him! He's just a helpless baby!"

His dark eyes narrowed slightly, and his thin lips twitched into a sardonic smile, "If you thought that, you wouldn't be hiding here."

"We're only hiding because you want to kill an innocent baby!"

The 'man' sighed, "Women. Move out of the way, you don't have to die too...not yet."

"Is that what you told James before you killed him!"

"No." he replied coldly, "That man was much too infuriating to be allowed to exist."

"You're _horrible_!"

The man pointed his wand at her. "Move. It's the last warning I'll give you."

She hesitated for an instant, then lunged for the cradle, and curled herslf protectively around Harry, who sat looking up at her with wide green eyes. _Harry...please...survive...grow up and be just like your father._

Voldemort gave an irritated hiss, "Blast you, woman! You didn't have to die!"

She heard an angry growl, and a bright green light enveloped her.

"_HAAARRYYY!_"

**ch END**

----

AN: Well, this was shorter than James', I suppose, but they aren't supposed to be long! They're one shot peices after all!

And, in case you couldn't tell, the last line was supposed to be the distinctive scream that Harry hears when he first encounters the Dementor.

_angeltread_: I'm glad you liked it. Yup. He probably irritated the pants off Voldy in their encounters. XD

-Yusagi


	4. Two

Disclaimer: sigh How many times must I say I do not own HP?

AN: Well, this is odd...jumps a long way. Flashback in the beginning, but I just didn't see how I could chart Sirius' whole journey without it being a little messy, so I only have the one part of it...

Anyway, on to Sirius we go...words like 'this' are thoughts in flashbacks.

* * *

_To the last_

**Two**

_It couldn't be. It wasn't possible. This scene of carnage and ruin couldn't be where his best friend and family had been hiding. It wasn't possible. _

James. Could. Not. Be. Dead.

Sirius gave a half hearted laugh. 'He is not dead! Obviously not, because the only way for Voldemort to have found him is if Wormtail told him! And there's no way that he would do THAT!'

Sirius' laughter increased to something of a cackle, 'Of course, Prongs just blew this up to shake Voldemort off his tail! Or...antlers! That's it!'

His stomach dropped out of him when Hagrid stumbled out of the ruins, carrying a screaming baby, and tears streaming down his soot-blackened face.

"Hagrid! What's going on?"

The half giant looked over at him with glistening black eyes, "They...They're dead..."

Sirius sighed, had things changed so much from back then? This time it was him hiding, and Harry out there trying to stop Voldemort. _But at least I have a better secret keeper..._

His mouth twisted in distaste, as if he had just tasted something bitter, at the thought. _Pettigrew...I should have known...I should have!_

He fought back tears as he stared blankly into the fireplace of the accursed home he had been confined to over the last year, _It was my fault...I should have been the one that knew...they'd still be alive if I had been..._

A voice in the back of his mind--a memory of what Dumbledore had said once--whispered that it had to be, that the only reason they had hope of defeating Voldemort was that Lily and James had sacrificed their lives.

_I can't believe that...there had to be another way...there had to be another kid born then, that he could've went to instead!_

His dark musings were interrupted abruptly, as Remus burst into the room, "It's...Harry...he's fallen for Voldemort's plan!"

"No!" Sirius gasped, leaping up, "When! How? What's going on now?"

Remus shook his head, "I'm not sure about the details, Snape just reported it, the Order are mobilizing and going to the Ministry now!"

Sirius nodded, and snatched up his wand from the table near him, "Let's do this!"

The weathered man gave him a sympathetic smile, "Not you. You are to wait for Dumbledore and tell him...you know what he said about--"

"Are you _crazy_! Harry is _my_ godson, and there is no _way_ you're stopping me from doing my duty as his godfather!" Sirius snapped, waving his wand for effect, "I've rotted away in here too long! I won't let you all go rescuing Harry without me!"

Remus sighed softly, "Then who would tell Dumbledore? Don't you see--"

"_KREACHER_!"

Remus' eyes widened in shock as the wrinkled elf appeared with a small 'pop' and a huge snarl.

"Master calls me?" Kreacher said in a thoroughly unconvincing sweet voice, bowing low, and adding in a perfectly audible undertone, "Filthy blood-traitor that he is...ordering Kreacher like he deserves to be Kreacher's master...oh, but he'll learn..."

Sirius growled, and cut short the deranged House Elf's ranting, "You are to wait here until Dumbledore comes, and tell him where we've gone and why. Do you understand?"

"If that is what master wishes." Kreacher grumbled, "Thinks he can just order Kreacher around? Well, Kreacher will show him..."

"KREACHER!" Sirius snapped, "I _order_ you to stay here and tell Dumbledore where we've gone!"

Kreacher scowled at the floor, "As master wishes..."

Sirius did not wait to hear what derogitive comments Kreacher would add, racing out of the room past Remus to where the Order members were gathering to leave.

--

Harry was cornered by several Death Eaters, back to a strange black veil, eyes desperate. But now he wouldn't have to worry anymore, Sirius would not let James' only son, who had grown up so much like James, to die. Not ever.

"Hey! Did I miss much?" Sirius laughed, running down the steps, into the thick of Death Eaters, wand shooting off every jinx, hex, and curse he could think of.

Multiple Death Eaters went down before firing a shot, and the Order members had not yet been harmed in the slightest. _If only I could see Harry through this confusion, he'd better be somewhere safe..._

"I knew you'd come." The low voice of his least favorite cousin cut through his thoughts. "You've always pranced around where you shouldn't, playing the hero. It's no wonder your mother threw you out."

Sirius glared at his dark haired cousin, "I left of my own accord, Bellatrix. I have no interest in being associated with your family in the slightest!"

She gave a mocking laugh, "Good then, I don't have to feel sorry for killing you then."

"Killing _me_?" Sirius smirked, "You couldn't kill me in my sleep, Bella."

The woman growled in irritation, and launched at him, wand and all. Sirius laughed as he dodged curse after curse fired from her, she never could seem to aim when it counted.

"Can't you do any better, cousin dearest?" He laughed.

It didn't really matter anymore, Dumbledore had just arrived, he could see Harry in the corner of his vision, watching him--in relative safety--he was about to wave at Harry and wink, when something hit him in the chest.

Bella looked infinitely smug, "In your sleep?"

He tried to form a good reply, but the stunner she had used, had frozen his tongue. _A stun? All those curses and she gets me with a Stupefy?_

Somewhere in his mind he realized he was falling backwards. Toward that veil...

He glanced up numbly as the cloth parted for him. There were strange figures milling around him. Someone or something was approaching him.

It was odd, he thought he might have heard a scream before he entered this strange blackness, but there was no sound any more...just the whisper of the figures, and he soft plodding of the creature approaching.

He stumbled up and grasped for his wand--except his wand was nowhere to be seen.

"Who are you!"

The figure remained silent as it approached, gaining more recognizable features with every step. A grin suddenly bloomed across Sirius' features as the man reached him.

"_Prongs!_"

**ch end.**

* * *

AN: Crappy end, huh? Well...I couldn't seem to get what I wanted with it, anyway...

>.>

If he did die through that veil, I think Prongs was there waiting. Don't you?

-Yusagi


	5. One

Disclaimer: The bright side is this is one of the last disclaimers for this! I don't own HP peoples.

AN: Alright...because I want to make it all the more heart-wrenching for poor Remus, I'm going to make him the one facing off against Wormtail, instead of Harry. I'm quite evil, aren't I?

* * *

_To the last_

**One**

Remus sighed as he watched the terrain fly by him from the window of the train. Normally he would try to rest when he was on one of these trips, but not this time...he couldn't handle any more nightmares about his closest friends.

Of course, he had to sleep sometime, but for now, he found that watching the terrain slip by helped take his mind off of the fact that he was now well and truly alone. Sirius, James, Lily, Peter, Dumbledore...even Tonks was off on some mission alone. Not that he could ever believe she truly cared for him as much as she claimed--admirable sentiments, but quite impossible...she simply did not understand what he was like when he did not get his potion.

_James knew, and Sirius...they were always there even before that wolfsbane potion...they risked so much for me, and how did I repay them?_

He shook his head. The window had stopped working, he'd drifted back to thinking of his deceased friends. Plan B would have been a dreamless sleep potion, but he had not been able to get his hands on one since he'd left his teaching position in Hogwarts several years back. Perhaps he would resort to humming? Lily would do that when she got bored.

Remus sighed in irritation and shook his head, _Scratch that plan, haven't even started and I'm already thinking about them._

It wasn't like he was obsessive about his late friends, or always dwelt on the past--really, he'd managed two full hours the other day of not thinking about them fairly easily. The problem was that at the end of this train ride, he would be facing off against the last remaining 'friend' he had from those days, Wormtail, the betrayer.

He shook his head and looked out the window again, maybe it would work if he just didn't think at all, just watched the scenery pass by in a blur, disappearing behind him as the train zoomed along at incredable speeds. It reminded him of time, slipping through his fingers no matter how he tried to hold it. Friends and family there one moment at your side, and then vanished in a blink.

Remus shook his head. _Definitely not working anymore._

They had gotten news from a Death Eater they captured, that Wormtail was to meet with a Death Eater here, McGonagall had decided to send Remus in his place, to reason with Wormtail, or...

He sighed and put his face in his hands, how was he supposed to fight his own friend? He'd always wondered why Wormtail--Peter Pettigrew as he was now known as--had betrayed them, he'd occasionally wished bitterly that Peter would suffer the same fate as the friends he betrayed...but kill the poor man himself?

Remus sighed, _I can't do this...McGonagall shouldn't have sent me on this mission, I'm falling apart before the train has even stopped..._

The train screeched to a halt as he was thinking, as if it wanted to make him a liar.

With a grim frown, Remus stood and slid his hand in his robes pocket, where he had stowed his wand, and walked out of the compartment into the hall. There were few people on the train as he made his way to the exit, most people did not dare travel after the terrible hijacking of the Hogwarts Express by several Death Eaters.

If Remus heard correctly, they had been thwarted in whatever they were planning by a group of DA members, but not without heavy losses. Remus winced at the memory of Ginny Weasley sobbing over the body of a blonde girl by the name of Lovegood. It was a horrifying event, one that would never have happened if Dumbledore, or even Harry, were still in the school.

Now, however, was not the time for 'might have beens' or 'if onlys', now was the time for him to finish what Peter started.

--

Peter lifted his tiny nose into the air slightly, sniffing nervously, and wringing his hands. Many habits from his 12 year stretch as a rat were hard to break, and he often found himself trying to twitch whiskers he no longer had.

Bellatrix Lestrange had broken into a fit of mocking laughter when she had heard about his problem, remarking that he was lucky he could transform back at all after so long.

_Maybe I didn't want to..._ Peter thought sadly, watching for the train, _Life was easier as a rat...no one bullied me anymore...except for the occasional prank involving me by the twins...but...it reminded me of the days when I used to be with James and Sirius..._

Peter gave a sniffle at the thought, wiping away tears, _I didn't _want_ to join him! I wish they would have understood...I had no choice...I'm not strong like they were...I'm not strong..._

"Evening Wormtail." chimed a pleasant and all too familiar voice from behind him.

Peter leapt a full five feet in the air, and spun around to face Remus, "H-H-How did you get here!"

"I don't think that's the issue here, Peter." Remus said with the same pleasant smile plastered on his face as he always had. However, the wand he had pointed at Peter suggested the meeting was less than pleasant.

"P-Plese don't k-kill me!"

"Oh don't worry. I won't kill you for no reason." Remus said, "I'm not like Voldemort."

Peter cringed slightly. He had never been brave enough to _hear_ that name, let alone speak it.

"Tell me, what were you supposed to meet Dolohov here for?"

"You know I c-can't tell you!"

"Peter, we can protect you, you don't have to fear Voldemort anymore." Remus said, face softening.

Peter cringed at he name once more, "N-no you can't! No one can! Even D-D-Dumbled-dore couldn't!"

Remus frowned. "Peter..."

"I c-can't!" he cried, making a break for the exit.

"_PETER_!"

--

Remus sighed. He had known this was going to happen.

Reluctantly, he fired several jinxes at Peter's retreating form, but 12 years as a rat seemed to improve Peter's natural agility, and Remus couldn't score a hit. Cursing under his breath, Remus chased after his old friend.

It seemed like Peter had to be trying to reach a Portkey, as he raced out of the building, into the forest.

"Peter! Stop!"

The man only kept running.

Remus sighed and sent a curse at the man, this time it connected, and sent the man spinning several feet through the air. Peter screamed in terror, then landed with an audible crack.

Eyes wide, Remus raced to where Peter lay on the forest ground, umoving, unseeing.

"Wormtail, no! I...I didn't mean to--" Remus bit back a sob, and fell to his knees, clutching his last friend. "I'm sorry..."

Time had slipped by once more...and now...he was truly alone.

**CH end**

* * *

AN: Once again, terrible ending. Dang, sometimes I just can't seem to do it right...

Next chapter will be the last...

-Yusagi


	6. Zero

Disclaimer: For the last time. I don't own HP.

AN: So...here we are to the last...shall we step off the end?

Yes. It's another Remus one, but this time it's him alone. Thus the character overall in this fic is Remus.

Makes sense? >.> Not really.

* * *

_To the last_

**Zero**

The final battle. He had somehow made it to the final battle. They had all promised to see eachother after the final battle and have a few good bottles of firewhiskey.

Remus fought back angry tears, he had been the only one to survive. There would be no celebrations to look forward to for him, only a meaningless existence alone in the darkness.

And it was all Voldemort's fault.

The battle raged on around him, Order and Ministry facing off against Death Eaters and creatures of the nether realms. Both sides were suffering heavy casualties, cries of anguish or horror rang out all around him, but he had only eyes for the one standing somewhat removed from the battle, who's red eyes observed to chaos with a sadistic gleam.

The prophesy never said Harry had to kill him, did it? And it certainly never said Harry couldn't have help...

Most of the people were engaged in battle, and pretty much ignored Remus as he made his way through the crowd, and none of the creatures were anywhere near him. Voldemort seemed unaware of his approach, likely he was so blinded by overconfidence, the only one he'd notice would be Harry--or maybe Dumbledore if he approached, but Remus wasn't sure about that one.

"_You!_" Remus growled, as he made it to the clearing where Voldemort stood.

The pale, scaly creature turned its head toward him. "Me."

"This...all of this is your fault!"

"Brilliant detective work." Voldemort smirked, "And you are?"

"Remus Lupin. James Potter's best friend."

"Wait...I thought that was Sirius Black..." the creature frowned, then sighed, "Youth these days. What is it? Come to defect? Or die?"

"I would never join you."

"That's good. Because it's a little late for that." the snake-creature looked bored.

Remus pointed his wand at the thing that was most definately not human anymore, "I'll make you pay for their deaths!"

"I thought that was supposed to be Harry Potter's job here? What's changed now?"

"Nothing."

"You _must_ be James Potter's friend. I've having a terrible deja vu just talking to you."

"That's called having your life flash before your eyes, it means you're about to die."

The creature smirked, "Die? I think not. You might, though. If you don't scamper away. You are boring."

Without warning, Remus was flung off of his feet, and into the crowd. Snarling, Remus leapt up and flung a perticularly nasty hex at the thing that was now smirking at him. Unfortunately, it batted it away without blinking.

"Just as pathetic and foolish as your friend, I see." Voldemort sighed, "Very well, I'll just be rid of you before you get the bright idea to try to 'punch' me, like him."

"Try it!" Remus cried, throwing a curse at him.

The pale creature's mouth curved into a satisfied smirk an instant before pain exploded in Remus' back, and Remus found himself launched forward onto his face.

"Next time, you really should wait until the rest of my followers are dead before attacking me. At least James attacked me when I was alone." Voldemort hissed smugly, "Oh well, just one more fly on the wall squashed."

"_LUPIN!_"

Remus sighed sadly as he heard Harry's approach. _I'm sorry, Harry...looks like it was your fight after all..._

Lupin found himself smiling softly as the world faded away, and Voldemort's high cackle began to fade. Despite everything, the Mauraders would finally be reunited.

They were all going to have Firewhiskey after all.

**END.**

* * *

An: . Yeah. That's it. I thought it would be unfair to leave Remus alive. And the saying 'to the last' can mean 'all including the last'.

So...that's it. Was a one shot. What do you think?

-Yusagi


End file.
